1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of providing a subset of SQL (Structured Query Language) relational-database functions to existing applications.
2. Discussion of Related Art
There still exist a variety of commercially available databases with SQL interface, providing an exhaustive set of functions, but they are highly hardware resource consuming.
As a result, computer programs written for one computer with a software platform including a commercial SQL relational-database are frequently unsuitable for use with computers having a reduced hardware configuration.
In the past many existing applications had to be rewritten in order to enable them to interface with a proprietary database resident on that equipment.
Furthermore proprietary databases are usually equipment dependent and cannot be used for the same or other applications on other equipment.
One of the major problems that application developers are faced with when porting existing applications, developed on a different hardware and software platforms and using an SQL relational-database, toward equipment with reduced hardware configuration, for example communication servers, other network apparatus etc., is the need to rewrite part of the applications in order to enable them to interface with a proprietary database resident on that equipment, otherwise the applications could not be used or must be rewritten completely. Sometimes the destination equipment has a reduced availability of hardware resources because of the installation of other resource consuming applications (e.g., communication software like ISO/OSI stack protocols, TCP/IP and others) and since commercial SQL relational-databases are highly hardware resources consuming it could be desirable to avoid installing it, for example in the case of the porting of an application toward one or more communication servers.
It will be recognized that an SQL database running on any equipment with any configuration is essential in order to allow an existing application using an SQL database to be ported toward an equipment and to function correctly, when a commercial database has not been installed.